‘Aquaman’ Will Be in the Spirit of ‘Romancing the Stone’ and ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’

The ages-old query of “So, who were your influences on the film?” still appears regularly in interviews following a big-name movie’s release. But in recent years, directors have started to name the films they drew from before the premiere as a way of drumming up anticipatory buzz. At the Star Wars Celebration in London earlier this year, Episode VIIIdirector Rian Johnson name-checked Bridge on the River Kwai, Three Outlaw Samurai, Letter Never Sent, and 12 O’Clock High as points of reference for the next Star Wars picture. The initial public response went along the lines of “lol what the hell are you talking about,” but eventually cooled into “Alright, can’t front, that sounds pretty awesome.”

One-man blockbuster factory James Wan, the helmer behind the upcoming Aquamansolo film, is the latest filmmaker to tease appetites by dropping movie titles. Earlier this week, he spoke with Entertainment Tonight and offered the following hint at what fans can expect:

I kind of don’t want to give too much away but know this: The spirit that I’m going for is like a classic sort of swashbuckling action adventure, sort of high seas adventure story… It’s ultimately a quest story in the spirit of Raiders of the Lost Ark meets Romancing the Stone.

After the joyless slog of Batman v Superman: Dawn of It Still Being Nighttime, a return to an older narrative tradition will be a welcome change of pace. DC and Marvel fans alike have made their desire to have a little fun for a change well-known, and with the seminal adventure pictures that Wan’s drawn from, he could very well be on the right track.